Interior Rating:

Almost alone among this class of EVs and plug-ins, the e-Golf’s interior is completely free of green-car gimmicks. It is just as functional and comfortable as the inside of any other Golf, though its compact stature keeps it from being truly comfortable for two rows of adult passengers.

Interior Space Comparisons

The e-Golf falls roughly in the middle of this set in interior space. Front-seat passengers will be perfectly comfortable, provided there aren’t any Olympic rowers on board. The back seat is somewhat more cramped, and although there’s space for adults of average size, they would tire of the accommodations over the course of a long trip.

Front-Seat Passenger Space

Our 6' tester demonstrates how easy it is to enter and exit the driver’s seat of the Golf.

Back-Seat Passenger Space

Our 6' tester demonstrates how easy it is to enter and exit the back seat of the Golf. It also shows how much kneeroom there is when the driver’s seat is adjusted for a 6' driver.

Interior Features

With just two trim levels and a couple of available options packages, there’s not much difference in the interior fittings between SE and SEL Premium e-Golfs. Leatherette seats, a self-dimming rearview mirror, and ambient lighting represent some of the only features that come in the upper trim but not the base one. The e-Golf employs partial-power seat adjustments in both trim levels, so driver and front passenger can use a switch to adjust their angle of recline but must use manual controls to modify the seat’s height or fore-aft positioning.

Feature

Standard/Optional

Tilting steering column

Standard

Telescoping steering column

Standard

Power-adjustable steering column

Not Available

Heated steering wheel

Not Available

Power-adjustable pedals

Not Available

Memory driver’s seat

Not Available

Massaging driver’s seat

Not Available

Massaging front-passenger seat

Not Available

Power driver’s seat

Standard

Power front-passenger seat

Standard

Heated front seats

Standard

Heated rear seats

Not Available

Cooled front seats

Not Available

Cooled rear seats

Not Available

Head-up display

Not Available

Rear-seat entertainment system

Not Available

Seat Adjustments

2017 Volkswagen e-Golf SEL Premium

Fore/Aft

Recline

Shoulder articulation

Lumbar support

Height

Thigh support

Side bolster

Headrest tilt

Driver’s seat

X

X

X

X

Front-passen-ger seat

X

X

X

X

Climate Control

2017 Volkswagen e-Golf SEL Premium

Manual climate control

Automatic climate control

Dedicated vent(s)

First Row

No

Two-zone

Yes

Second Row

No

No

Yes

Cupholder Location

Vehicle Tested: 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf SEL Premium

Interior Sound Level

Modern cabins do an excellent job of insulating passengers from ambient noise, but none can completely eliminate the sharp sound of the wind and the drone of tire noise when you’re traveling at highway speed. To measure the interior sound-pressure level, we use a Brüel & Kjær Type 2250-L sound meter, which we position in the middle of the first row of seats at the height of the driver’s ear. The meter automatically averages 15 seconds of sound in A-weighted decibels (dBA), taken while the test car is cruising at 70 mph. (A-weighting is an industry standard that adjusts decibel readings to better reflect how the human ear hears various frequencies.) We take two measurements and average the results. We also correct for speedometer inaccuracies with our GPS-based data loggers. It is worth noting that decibels are a logarithmic unit, so a rating of 40 decibels isn’t twice the sound pressure of 20 decibels; it is 10 times the sound pressure. A six-decibel increase roughly doubles the sound pressure.

Test Results: Interior Sound Levels at 70 mph

Seating and Step-In Height

True to its slight stature, this hatchback’s seating height is more like that of a sedan than SUV. The only outlier in this set is the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which bolsters its crossover claims with a significantly higher H-point compared with its rivals. To accurately measure seating height—the distance from the road to the driver’s hip—we use an H-Point Machine (HPM), a precisely engineered device marketed by SAE International. This versatile tool, in conjunction with a laser device, reveals the width and location of roof-pillar visibility obstructions (blind spots). Our HPM and laser measurement tools determine the length of road obscured by the hood as well as the road obscured by the trunk or hatch (as seen through the rearview mirror).

Test Results: Seating Height

Test Results: Step-In Height

Blind Spots, Visibility, and Obscured Roadway

As in the rest of the Golf family, the e-Golf’s narrow pillars, high roof, and large windows contribute to excellent outward visibility.

Roof pillars protect occupants in a rollover crash, but they also create blind spots. We determine visibility by measuring the location and width of each pillar using an H-Point Machine and a laser beam (surrogates for a driver and eyeball, respectively). Front and rear visibility are calculated by subtracting the viewable area blocked by the pillars from a perfect 180-degree score.

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The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

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